Blog by Beebe Cline

The Absolute Right Way to Hang Toilet Paper. Maybe

Confession: I’m hung over. No, I didn’t drink too much alcohol last night. What I mean is, my toilet paper hangs over the front of the roll, rather than under (or behind) it. And according to a recent Houzz poll, I’m in the majority.

As
of this writing, the poll has topped well over 13,000 votes, with
nearly 11,500 (around 85 percent) saying they prefer (demand?) that the
roll hangs over. But almost 2,000 people still say they want the sheets
to hang under the roll. Maybe they have a point?

Let’s take a look at the most common viewpoints in the over-under debate.

The Case for OverThe fine print. If you buy printed or patterned toilet paper, the design usually shows up on only one
side of the sheets. If you hang the toilet paper over, then this design
is clearly visible as you pull the sheets out and tear them off. If you
were to hang the toilet paper under, or behind, you won’t see the
design as you unroll the paper. This leads many to believe that the
proper way to hang is over.

But maybe they’re all making the
same mistake. And if 15 percent of people are hanging their rolls under,
toilet paper manufacturers are missing a large market. Someone should come out with a line of toilet paper printed on both sides — or, better yet, on just the underside of the sheets.

Etiquette. Similarly,
users say that because hotels hang it over — and neatly fold the tip —
this means that over is the proper way. Also, one user commented that
this method was even taught in her prep school.

Then maybe hanging under is a form of rebellion, something the cool kids do? For mitchwong, the way it’s hung is all a matter of keeping sane. “Over, because of family peace,” he says.

And what about here? Are you
supposed to give a celebratory low-five slap after each use? Which
brings up another point: Some people just want the roll hung. Period. “My husband has a tendency to set a new roll on top of the old empty tube without actually putting it on the holder,” comments bluenan. “Really,
dude? You can’t stick the thing on while you’re sitting there?! In that
case I would just like the new roll put on, and if it’s the wrong way, I
can change it later!”Meanwhile, Nexs Cabinets brings up a fine point: “I thought it depended on which side of the equator you lived on!”